MP

Kevin Andrews (LIB) since a 1991 by-election. Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.

Profile

String of outer eastern suburbs extending along the south bank of the Yarra. Includes Bulleen, Doncaster, Templestowe, Donvale, Warrandyte and Wonga Park. Covers 119 sq.km.

History/Trivia

Created in 1984 and named after Sir Robert Menzies, Australia's longest serving Prime Minister and founder of the modern Liberal Party. Held by former Liberal Party Deputy Leader Neil Brown 1984-91.

2-Party Booth Result

The Liberal Party recorded majorities in 34 of the 35 booths used in 2004, rising from 48.4% at the Buleen Child Care Centre, the westernmost booth in the electorate, to 73.8% at Wonga Park Primary School, the easternmost.

Main Candidates

The sitting Liberal MP since 1991 is Kevin Andrews, a Barrister before being elected to Parliament in a by-election, replacing former Liberal Deputy Leader Neil Brown. Andrews was high profile in the Howard government's first term for his bill to overturn the Northern Territory's euthanasia law, and also chaired the House Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee. He later chaired a committee examining cloning and various aspects of gene therapy. Appointed Minister for Ageing after the 2001 election, Andrews has strongly conservative views on most family issues. With the retirement of a senior Victorian in Senator Richard Alston, Andrews was promoted to be Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, filling a post left vacant by Tony Abbott's switch to Health. With Workchoices becoming an increasingly poisonous issue for the government in 2007, the cuddlier Joe Hockey was moved into Workplace Relations, Andrews becoming Immigration Minister. It was in that role he attracted considerable attention in July 2007 after cancelling the work visa for Bangalore-born Dr Haneef in the wake of the UK airport bombings. His Labor opponent is 51 year-old Andrew Campbell, who has lived in the eastern suburbs for 45 years. He has spent most of his working life as an electrical tradesman, running his own business in the 1980s and 1990s and then working as a sub contractor. He then spent 5 years in Southern NSW, running a farm and his electrical business and helping his wife with her nursery business. Campbell's union links through the Electircal Trade Union came under scrutiny after ETU boss Dean Mighell was forced to resign from the Labor Party.